Any school will hold a myriad of memories happy and sad for both former
and existing pupils.
My own memories of Rothesay Academy relate to the times of most significant
change for the "Thomson Institute". My dad moved to Rothesay in 1944 to
take up a teaching post which saw him assume responsibility for teaching
english, history and geography and to remain with the Academy until his
retiral from the post of Deputy Rector in 1974.

I entered the old 1st infants in the Academy Primary which occupied the
1930's building at the top of the hill. It was a fee paying Primary at the
sum of £ 1 per quarter. Teacher for the first two years was Miss Funnel,
then Mrs Weir followed by Miss Anderson followed by Miss Drummond and finally
Miss Duff.

However 1954 saw the Secondary destroyed by fire and the remains of the
old Gothic building, which always reminded me of Glasgow Uni on Hunterhill,
were carried away to allow construction of the 1960's edifice which sits
atop the Tarry Brae nowadays.

This did not take place overnight and the Primary pupils were dispersed
throughout Rothesay to Church Halls, youth centres and the Public School
in High Street where they remained for the next six years. This was all
done very quickly and quietly and we children were well looked after by
the young ladies of 3rd and 4th year. The overriding requirement was to
allow as little disruption as possible to the 5th and 6th years who were
taking their Highers at the time. The "Ides of March" indeed as they decamped
to the Primary on top of the hill and it is to their credit and to that
of their teachers that the subsequent results obtained were no worse than
in preceding easier years.

The 1950's also saw the return of the last evacuee children to urban Scotland
and in 1958 the departure of HMS Adamant and her flotillas of submarines
for Faslane. The consequent haemorrhage of children from Bute led to the
closure of the Primary and its amalgamation with the Public School to form
Rothesay Primary which then moved to a new building at Meadowcap where it
remains to this day.

My own departure from the new Academy was in 1961.... so long ago but my
daughter went right through five years at the top of the Tarry Brae and
I hope that my two grandchildren will follow suit.

Memories so many memories. With my dad being a teacher it was a much more
personal relationship with the school than it might otherwise have been.
I have travelled the world since 1961 but always returned to Rothesay and
this is no small way due to the "Academy".

Mike Blair
My family has been associated with the island for 57 years. My wife is
of McKirdy farming stock, and there are four generations of Blairs on
the island at present.